After the End
by katakoi
Summary: Obviously, set after The End. Raven's instict tells her Trigon is still alive, but the worst part is that she and Robin have been spending too much time together lately and Starfire doesn't know what to do! [complete]
1. Chapter 1

After the End

What is there, after the end?  
Is it the end of an empire?  
Or of a relationship?  
Do we fear the things to come?  
And forget the things that ended?  
What is there, after the end?

"Go forth and conquer. One by one worlds shall fall, until every being in this entire dimension bows down to worship Trigon the Terrible!" - Those were to be the last words to haunt her that night, before jolted awake. The sun had not yet risen; she was sweaty and tired, but she could sleep again. Trigon was defeated. She had friends. She was happy, yet there was a fear in her heart that would not disappear.

Robin awoke soon after, and made his way to the top of Titans Tower to watch the sunrise. When he arrived, Raven was already there.

"So you're here again," he said cheerfully.

"I want to talk," she replied quickly. Her pace was agitated and hurried. "I think, Trigon might still be alive."

"I know. Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"You're optimistic as always."

"Of course, because of you. You've beaten him before, you can do it again. I believe in you. And, if you ever meet trouble, I will be there, fighting at your side."

"Thank you."

"Have you told any one of the others?"

"Not yet. I don't want to worry them."

"I think they would want to be worried. We are your friends; you don't have to hide anything."

"You're right. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. I owe you more than you think."

The third to awaken was Starfire. Today was the anniversary, the anniversary she had been waiting for 364 days. She had hoped to surprise Robin early in the morning (she knew most of his habits), but when she left her room she saw Robin and Raven walking together, laughing.

"Um! Robin!" Starfire said suddenly, "I wanted to prepare for you the breaking of fast."

"Oh, well... I guess that's okay," he answered hesitantly.

He was right to be hesitant, as she zealously presented a stomach-turning glorg. Robin slowly brought his fork closer to the green substance; profuse sweat was causing his hair to flatten. Starfire watched with innocent anticipation, and Raven peered from the sidelines with fear, like the friend of an actor performing an out-of-this-world stunt.

As he opened his mouth, his taste buds screamed in terror. He decided to end it quickly, swallowing it with one fatal gulp. He did everything he could to hold in his reaction. He could see Starfire glaring at him, waiting for a response.

"Well," he said nervously, "it was better than Raven's pancakes?" Now there were two girls glaring at him.

All the Titans had now awaken and had breakfast, eggs, bacon, and toast (and tofu). Raven and Robin volunteered to clean the dishes, so Cyborg and Beast Boy happily went about their own business. Starfire followed, walking heavily up the staircase.

"So, BB, how bout we play video games?" asked Cyborg excitedly. "I'd be happy to beat you, again."

"What if we played a new game," Beast Boy suggested. "You call out an animal, and whoever does the best transformation wins! So, afraid you're going to lose?"

"Human."

"What? Human's not an animal."

"Am I permitted to play," intruded Starfire, "though you may deem me alien."

"Starfire, just the gal I was looking for," Cyborg said. "C'mon, let's play some video games! I bet you could beat Beast Boy."

"I would gladly accept your offer, but I have a favour to request first."

"Go ahead, ask anything!"

"Take me to Raven's mind."

"Actually, I meant anything except that."

"Beast Boy told me of your excursion through the depths of her psyche. I would like to go there."

"Beast Boy?"

"It may have slipped," he said defensively, "but she pressured me into it! You don't know how scary she can be!"

"C'mon, how bad could it be."

Starfire's eyes were glowing red. Flames surrounded her body causing Cyborg's internal coolant pipes to overheat; Beast Boy transformed into a camel but still couldn't handle the heat. "YOU WILL TAKE ME THERE," she demanded.

"Oh, that bad."

They entered Raven's cautiously, inspecting and sneaking in like thieves (even though they knew she was still washing dishes). Her room still had the same decorations as before, but somehow, it felt less dark and possibly hospitable.

"Last time, we entered through this mirror," Cyborg said, "but I really don't think we should be missing with it."

Starfire ignored him and lifted the mirror to gaze at it. In her reflection she saw herself, but with an evil aura that resembled her sister's. A vortex appeared and she was taken inside; Beast Boy and Cyborg tried to run, but too were caught.

They were once again in that familiar creepy place. Starfire went ahead without warning to their alarm. "You have to be careful," Beast Boy shouted. "We almost got lost last time. We've been here before so you better let us guide you."

They chased after her, but the ground beneath them suddenly gave way and they fell. Suddenly they found themselves standing upside-down, unless they had been standing up-side down before and this was actually the correct way to stand, although the correct way to stand could be standing upside-down - it was too confusing for them to process.

"I forgot about that," Beast Boy said gloomily. "Anyway, we've gotta keep going. Starfire's probably ahead of us."

But Starfire wasn't ahead of them, since she hadn't fallen.

Raven suddenly gasped and dropped a dish.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked, worried.

"Robin, do you remember when I told you 'There are places in my mind where no one can ever go,'" Raven told him seriously, "because now, I will open that place for you. I sense a disturbance."

Starfire stood at one end of a thin rickety bridge. It looked like even a feather could cause the bridge to break, and send any unlucky person who happened to be crossing, down into a black pit below. The bridge let to a dark castle Starfire found frightening, yet comforting. On the other side of the bridge stood Raven, wearing a red cloak. She had four eyes and a hideous glare for a smile.

"Welcome," she beckoned, "I've been waiting for you. Come this way." 


	2. Chapter 2

Starfire's Jealousy

Cyborg and Beast Boy found themselves at the entrance of the convoluted maze. They waited for the grey Raven to appear, but she did not come, as neither did the pink Raven.

"Let's just try and get through ourselves," Cyborg suggested.

"Are you crazy? Last time she showed us the way and I still felt lost!" Beast Boy reminded him.

"Don't worry. I probably have a map stored somewhere in my databank. if I could just find it in this mess of old unsorted junk."

"So you're gonna search through a maze for a solution to a maze? Let's just try and get through ourselves."

As soon as they entered the maze, the wall closed in behind them. They gulped, knowing now they had no choice but to move forward. After running from gawking ravens, walking in circles, falling down several trap doors, running from perched ravens, walking into walls, running from imaginary ravens, and resting because they were too tired from running from imaginary ravens, Cyborg finally found the map and they were successfully able to escape.

They passed by the broken pieces of the guardian statue, expecting to green Raven that had destroyed it last time to appear, but again, she did not come.

"This is where we fought Trigon last time," Beast Boy remembered, "well, last, last time."

"Yeah, don't remind me," Cyborg said grumpily. Neither of his encounters with Trigon were enjoyable ones to say the least. "Let's keep moving, the exit was around here last time."

Cyborg walked forward, but ended up trampling over Beast Boy who hadn't moved a muscle. He hadn't moved because in front of him he saw the red Raven. He quickly transformed into a raven and dived, but he flew through her, as did Cyborg's sonic cannon.

"It's a fake!" he announced.

"It can't even hurt us," Beast Boy said. "What's it doing here?"

Without words, his question was answered as the red Raven summoned all of her other personalities, only for all of them to vanish.

"So you are not the real Raven?" asked Starfire. "You are a phantom of the Raven, who is also not the real Raven?"

"That is correct," the phantom answered, "but soon I will be. My true form is sealed in this castle. I escaped once but I was attacked and banished again. Do you pity me? Won't you free me?"

"I am not so sure."

"But it will benefit you. You came here because you wanted to know of Raven's feelings for your Robin, correct? I will tell you. The Raven you know has been planning all along to take him from you. She despises you. If I am released, I can restrain her and then Robin will be all yours. Now, here is the seal."

Starfire found herself staring into deep darkness. She found herself entranced, falling deeper and deeper into the darkness, until she was frightened by two pairs of leering red eyes. Her mood was different, somehow affected by the environment of Raven's mind. She did not want to do anything that could potentially hurt any of her friends, but then she seeing Raven hug her Robin after the battle with the Trigon, and seeing them laughing together that morning, and seeing them washing dishes together, and seeing many occasions of them together (some of them weren't even real).

Raven and Robin had just crossed the bridge leading to the castle. As they entered, Raven began a conversation: "I just wanted to tell you, that I really appreciate everything you've been doing and everything you've done for me. It's been fun, but I think Starfire might be jealous. That's probably why she came here."

"What? Jealous? Why would she be jealous? There's no reason for her to be jealous! You don't know what you're talking about!" Robin was now gasping for air, having said all that and more (all to the same effect) in one breath.

"Things between me and her have been weird lately. I think you should talk to her."

"You're right, I will. I've been avoiding her as of late since I've been preparing a special evening for her tonight. It's the anniversary of the day we first met."

"Sounds nice."

"I remember the day we first met too. I didn't do anything because I thought you might get mad, but was I wrong?"

"No, you've done enough. You were right. I would have gotten mad. But I do remember that day too."

They were silent, until Raven stopped and cautioned, "Beyond this point things might be strange. Try to focus on protecting your mind; don't let thoughts from the outside penetrate."

She began to walk more slowly, her eyes closed and her hands in a chakra formation. Robin tried to copy her but he ended up walking into a wall and cracking his fingers. He did his best to focus but he couldn't stop the thoughts from intruding into his head. He first saw Raven becoming the portal, and then Raven as a child, and then he saw things he had either never seen before or chosen to ignore: he saw Raven, wearing a black cloak, with red markings covering her body, and a sword levitating in front of her. At first her eyes emanated darkness, but on more careful inspection she was actually crying.

Robin suddenly began to convulse, but Raven held him gently and managed to calm him. Just then, a red pillar of light emerged from the castle, as the red Raven was freed. The other colours appeared, and fused with the red Raven to form Black Raven.

"We can't let her escape," Raven informed Robin, as they rushed in to battle.

Black Raven attacked first with a flow of dark energy. Raven was able to dodge and advance further, but Robin was halted as he blocked the attack by spinning his staff. When the attack finally ceased, he noticed Starfire standing near him.

Because of the situation, he either did not notice or chose to ignore the fact that she seemed awkward, and told her to help seal Dark Raven, but she did not listen. Raven was having difficulties fighting her dark counterpart, as it seemed the spells of darkness were stronger. In hand-to-hand combat she had the advantage, and was able to land a blow to her gut, but Dark Raven only laughed and trapped the other within a sphere of dark energy.

She then opened a portal, and using her powers, began levitating Starfire. Robin threw an explosive at Dark Raven, but she shielded herself and countered by surrounding him with dark energy. He felt as though his energy was flying from his body. With the last of his fading strength, he shouted Starfire's name as she was sent through the portal, but she did not answer. Dark Raven exited after, and the portal disappeared. Raven was able to escape from the sphere, but it was too late.

Robin used his contactor to call Starfire, but there was interference, no doubt, Dark Raven's doing. He then called Cyborg and Beast Boy, and told them what happened. They had already returned to the tower, and they quickly went to the main computer (Beast Boy cheered from the sidelines as Cyborg manned the computer). They were able to track Starfire's device, following its signal until it stopped moving and landed on a planet in the Draconis Nebula. Preparations for outer space travel were made immediately.

Upon arrival at the new planet, Starfire was greeted by an unexpected accquaintance: "Hello sister dear. It is good to see you again." 


	3. Chapter 3

Re: Birthmark

The T-ship finally reached the Draconis Nebula, an area revered for its over-abundance of black holes. The Titans charged recklessly, relying on haste and agile reflexes to avoid certain doom. They did have one close call: the ship began tilting toward one of the black holes, but Raven's "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" spell was able to take control of the ship and steer it away from danger.

After several more close encounters with the end, they finally docked safely at the planet where they planned to rescue Starfire. When they exited the ship, they noticed that the planet was barren, except for one city located in its centre. When they arrived at the city, they were immediately greeted by soldiers wearing heavy armor.

"Where is Starfire?" he demanded. When he received no answer, he shouted, "Teen Titans, go!"

The Titans did appear to be doing any damage, as the armour protected their foes. Even when the Titans thought they were victorious, the soldiers would rise as though they did not feel pain. Neither Robin's ice explosives, nor Beast Boy's tiger scratches, nor Cyborg's sonic cannon had any effect.

Raven was about to use her powers to change the tide of the battle, but she saw someone that might be Starfire run as soon as they made eye contact. Because she did not want her get away, Raven chased after her, faintly informing the Titans of the situation, but they were too engrossed in the battle.

"Starfire, wait!" Raven called, but she was ignored as if she hadn't even called her name. Raven tried to catch her using the aura hands, hands formed by her dark energy, but Starfire was an expert at flying as she easily evaded them and turned to fly down an alleyway between two buildings.

Raven entered the alley and called Starfire's name again, but soon realized her mistake. The girl she had been chasing was not Starfire; it was Blackfire.

"What are you doing here?" Raven asked her, "do you have anything to do with Starfire's disappearance?"

"This is the only safe place for me now," she retorted, "since I was banished from Tamaran. My plan would have been perfect if you and your pathetic Titans hadn't ruined it. But what is this? Starfire disappeared? Did she run away? I had no idea she was such a bad girl. I hope you haven't been mistreating her."

"I don't have time for this."

"No, stay. Let's talk. No, we'll talk later."

She laughed as she began firing her red starbolts. Raven deflected them using an aura shield, then charged for a close range attack using the shield as a protective barrier. Before she could attack, Blackfire used eye beams, an attack strong enough to pierce Raven's shield and blast her all the way back to the entrance of the alley.

Raven and Blackfire flew into the air, choosing an aerial battle. They exchanged starbolts and jolts of Azarath magic; the fight was even until Raven flew in from behind and attacked with a spinning kick; however, even though she landed a direct hit it did not damage as she had gravely underestimated the superhuman strength of Starfire's alien race.

Blackfire grabbed her leg and threw her toward the ground. She landed heavily, but quickly recovered and barely dodged another flurry of starbolts. She flew high into the air and landed on top of one of the buildings. She used her magic to restrain Blackfire by securing her arms behind her back like a strape jacket would.

Her raw strength prevailed once again as it allowed her to free her arms. She put all of her strength into her fist and gave Raven a punch that sent her flying across the entire building, and landing on the far side of the other. She forced her eyes open, only to see a starbolt crashing at her like a meteor.

Summoning all of her determination, she gathered energy to her hands and deflected the starbolt, back at Blackfire with twice the force, catching her off guard. Raven then stood and transformed into a bodiless raven, that gathered Blackfire and flew her through all 66 stories of the tall building.

Blackfire still laughed when they reached the bottom, though she was in obvious pain. "You are much stronger than my sister," she complimented. "It is no surprise that he is so interested in you."

"He?" Raven wondered.

"I hate to admit it, but you're probably even stronger than I am. That is, unless I do this."

"That's! It can't be!"

Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg still weren't having any luck battling with the soldiers that rose every time they fell. When they noticed Raven was missing, they felt a revival of their will to fight and attacked with even more fervour than before. Robin's sword was able to cause wounds, Beast Boy's transformation from a humming bird to gain height to a whale to cause massive damage was able to crack the armour, and Cyborg's combination of two sonic cannons proved to be effective.

The moment they turned their backs, the soldiers rose again; however, this time they discarded their armour revealing their true form: the fiery creatures that had served under Trigon. A new fear instilled the Titans as they readied their weapons to fight again.

"I have a message for you," Blackfire said wickedly, "no, more like a reply. The end is not over, and you will have a part to play. You may have thought that you could keep the evil sealed within you for eternity, but it was bound to get loose. Destiny cannot be stopped."

"You're wrong!" denied Raven fiercely. She backed out of the alley and shouted either the strongest or the second strongest (or the third strongest) "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" of her life, causing the space in-between the two buildings to close. She thought she was safe, but Blackfire was able to reopen the space using her bare hands and a little reinforcement from the mark of Scath.

Flames encircled Raven, and she desperately tried to force them away, but they were not like birthday candles. Blackfire loomed closer and once touched her arms, causing the red marks to reappear all over body and her hair to grow again.

"So how do you feel?" she mocked. "Are you about ready to accept your destiny?"

"I wasn't ready then," Raven laughed, "and I'm not ready now. I was able to change my destiny because Robin and the others believed in me, and I know I can do it again because they believe in me right now. You know, I hate to admit it, but you are probably stronger than I am. That is, unless I do this."

Her cloak became white, hiding her inscriptions. She summoned white flames that quickly overcame the flames of Trigon. Then, by simply raising her hand, Blackfire was lifted from her feet and felled. She was not done yet, and she rose again, challenging Raven to match their superpowers against one another. A beam, formed from two starbolts and enhanced by the mark of Scath clashed with Raven's pure white energy. The match was even at first, but Raven eventually emerged victorious. She was a little short on breath having used such immense energy, and her opponent still was not done, but she definitely had the upper hand.

Raven moved to finish Blackfire with one more attack, knowing that receiving one more attack might finish it for her too; however, she was attacked from behind by a green starbolt. Her cape was burnt through, once again revealing her inscriptions.

With disbelief, she barely muttered, "Starfire," upon seeing whom the attack had come from. She heard a reply, "I'm sorry," before closing her eyes and falling into darkness. 


	4. Chapter 4

Conspiracy at Dawn

The next morning, Byaku decided to postpone her search for Kohaku, and instead search for Shihai. She knew it was more important to her mother to locate Kohaku's whereabouts, but there was an unsettled disturbance within her she couldn't ignore.

She began her investigation at the remnants of the elder's hut. While she was jostling through the rubble, she observed a trap door she hadn't noticed earlier. She carefully peered inside, and after she detected no signs of danger, she let herself fall down a vertical chute. It was a long fall, but before she touched the ground she raised her hand and caught Kiara's paw lessen the impact.

The secret compartment was a long hallway illuminated by torchlight, with ritual drawings meandering the walls and an extravagant carpet leading the procession. The two followed the carpet until they met a large door. Byaku could not open it. Before she made her next move, an obscure noise obstructed her thoughts.

Following the noise, she found another wing that lacked any source of light, but instead was completely dark. Straining to hear, the noise led her to a very old prison cell. Inside, was a middle-aged man, who seemed very sick, like a person who hadn't eaten in weeks. Using her own strength, she was able to rip the bars apart to create an opening so that she could rescue the man. She tried to comfort him, telling him "everything is all right now," but he was unresponsive.

The search for Shihai was temporarily postponed, as she brought the man to the local clinic. The clinic was already full with the villagers that had attacked Byaku the previous night, but one had recovered, allowing for the man to be treated.

"You look much better," she said to the recovered patient.

"I don't know what happened," he began. "All I remember is performing the ritual with everyone else. After that everything is black."

"Do you know who this man is?"

"This is... impossible! This is the elder's father, but that can't be! The elder told us he drowned in the river! We even had a funeral!"

"I see. Shihai must have imprisoned his own father to gain the position of elder, but why would he want it?"

"The only reason would be that the elder gains possession of all the shikon shards that are claimed from the invading youkai, but it is the elder's sacred duty to protect those shards from evil!"

"Sacred duties are easily abused," she stated, thinking of father. "Do you have any idea where Shihai might be?"

"There are times when no one in the village knows where he is. They say he goes for walks near the river, and then seems to vanish for short periods of time. We never questioned him. Before the rituals started, he was a most respectable elder. Please, don't hurt him. He is a fine young man."

"Don't worry, I'll find him and bring him back."

When she arrived at the river, the first thing she noticed was that it was connected to the waterfall that seemed to enjoy making fools of people. As she walked toward it, she observed that the wind was becoming more intense, and with so many mirages it would be a miracle not to become lost. She knew this would be an ideal hideout.

Using the kazanna to manipulate the wind, she was able to make her way to the waterfall, where on the ground she saw footprints leading behind. She followed them, revealing a secret cave with only one path. As she neared the end, she noticed two shadows. Peering around a corner, she tried to scope the situation.

One of the shadows belonged to Shihai; the other, she did not recognize. Shihai was giving the other a pile of shikon shards, but the other was displeased.

In a harsh tone, he said, "Four are missing. Without them, the first stage cannot be complete. What happened with the four ogres you called here last night?"

"He was defeated," Shihai responded meekly.

"Defeated? By whom?"

"Taijiya."

"Where is she?"

"She must have left by now."

"You fool! Those shards are crucial! Hurry! Summon four more ogres before nightfall, or it will be too late!"

"Yes, Tsubasa-sama."

Shihai rose slowly, and began to leave. He was looking down, at his own shadow, so he did notice when Byaku blocked his path.

"I won't let you summon them and put the village in danger," she said strongly, pointing the tip of her blade at his throat. 


	5. Chapter 5

Memories Burning in the Dark (Part 1)

Raven was undisturbed by the darkness around here while she meditated. The room she was in was filled with a condensed energy, more than six times more powerful than the energy that had affected Robin. The key to her disobedience of the darkness was her strong confidence in her friends, that she knew would do anything to save her, as she would for them.

Dark Raven materialized in the room, blending well with the darkness so that only her four red eyes could be seen. "How is it?" she asked, angrily. "How does it feel to be surrounded in shrouds of darkness? I spent my entire life sealed in here because of you. Now you will suffer as I suffered."

She pushed her and sent her into the deep darkness, deeper and deeper departing into darkness.

The first image she saw was of her mother, Arella, mourning the loss of her beloved. He was a handsome, charming man that died protecting her from a fire. Tears fell, as she could not accept that he was truly gone, but her teams seemed to evaporate when she saw him, she saw her husband smiling, standing at the door. She saw him trapped in the fires, but he was here. What she wanted to believe became the truth; thus, Raven was born.

Raven, as a child, loved learning to use her magic. Every morning she would quickly don her white robe and listen eagerly as her father taught her to control her powers. Her father told her she was a talented child, with a gift no other child had. "You are my gem," he would tell her. That made her feel special.

Soon she was an expert of the Azarath craft, although from time to time she would lose control and something dangerous would happen, like the breaking of flower vases. But her father always encouraged her, telling her it was okay to lose control every now and then, and she believed him, even though it seemed to scare some people, including her mother.

She loved her mother too. Her mother was kind, beautiful, and elegant. She loved to watch her feed pigeons, because she seemed so picturesque and natural. Everyone was terribly happy that her mother and father were reunited, at first, but eventually gossip began to spread like incessant sparks, telling tales of Scath and prophecies. People were suspicious of her father, but she did not believe them. Father made her happy; father made her mother happy.

Her family was idealistic, giving her comfort, security, friendship, and love, but all that ended when a mysterious man came to take her away.

"You can't!" Arella protested. "She's my child!"

"You can't deny the truth," he said gruffly. "You know that she is the gem of the prophecy. You know your husband is dead. She is destined to become Trigon's portal; we must end it now!"

"No! Our life is perfect. Don't ruin it! You don't think I know my own husband?"

"He isn't your husband! He's playing tricks with your fantasies!"

The scuffle escalated when she was knocked off her feet, crashing through a table and breaking a vase. The noise caused pigeons to ascend and shout warning cries.

"Don't hurt mother!" Raven cried, allowing pure rage to dictate her actions. Her rage produced energy, and an aura hand emerged from her stomach, and began to choke the mysterious man that had hurt mother.

He suffered extreme pain, feeling the air gush from his body. It could have been worse if Arella hadn't cuddled her child from behind, calming her young heart. When Raven saw what she had done to that man that had only hurt her mother gently and never meant any harm, tears began to flow from her. It was then that Arella reluctantly accepted the truth.

That night, while Raven was sleeping, Arella quietly materialized in her room and held her cautiously, not to wake her. She used her telekinesis to open and shut the door silently, and stepped into the dark night. Everything was silent; all were asleep.

Arella entered a cathedral, where she silently prayed for her child's safety before placing her on a pedestal. A group of monks materialized and surrounded her. One of the monks, the one that had visited earlier, took off his blue hood and spoke with Arella:

"Thank you for bringing the child here. You can feel at ease, as we have no intention of hurting her. We believe that with the proper treatment we can guide her in the way of the light and teach her to seal her dark side. Everything you've been through, was an unfair burden."

Arella only nodded in sad, painful acknowledgement. Every step she took, she would turn her head to take another last look at her child's face, then wipe her tears away.

The monks of Azarath were kind people; they treated Raven well, but it wasn't the same as her family. As promised, they taught Raven to suppress her dark side, and with it, all of her other emotions. Emotions were what caused her to lose control and hurt that man, on that day; therefore, she willingly donned a blue cloak and hid away her feelings. Never again did she break another vase or hurt another innocent flower. Yet, even though she meditated everyday, she could not help but miss her family.

When she was fifteen, she heard the monks talking in secret about something.

"We must tell her," one said urgently, "Trigon is on his way here. I fear without proper knowledge she will not be able to resist!"

"Do not fear," another answered, "our barrier is impenetrable from the outside. Not even Trigon could break it!"

Raven transformed her soul into a raven, and let it fly through the ceiling of the cathedral to see the outside work. She was forbidden from doing so, though the monks never gave her a reason. It was as though they believed natural light was lethal for her. Still, she had never disobeyed, until now. There was something in her telling her to do things, and she listened.

Raven saw her father, the same father she had cherished throughout her childhood, approach the church. He tried to open the door, but he could not get in. She wanted to see him, oh! how she wanted to see him again.

The door opened slightly, and true happiness began to fill her heart for the first time ever since the monks trained her, but the door was resealed as the monks bound their spiritual energy together and closed their eyes in deep concentration.

Indeed, the barrier was impenetrable from the outside, but Raven found no difficulty and breaking it from the inside. Before she could call out to her father, the monks frantically attacked him. She tried to get them to stop, until she saw. The monks' energy had weakened her father enough that he could no longer continue his current form; his true form was revealed: Trigon.

Raven stared at her enormous father in terror. All the comfort, security, friendship, and love he had once given her was replaced by a unbelievable fear. Trigon roared and hurled flames at the monks, instantly felling them.

Turning his attention to Raven, he chuckled, "Why so surprised? Didn't anyone tell you? Then I will inform you of your true destiny, the true reason why you exist! The gem was born of Evil's fire; the gem shall be his portal. He comes to claim, He comes to sire, the end of all things mortal! Don't you understand yet? You are my gem, Raven. It will begin on your sixteenth birthday. You will be the portal that allows me to take over the entire world!" 


	6. Chapter 6

Memories Burning in the Dark (Part 2)

The entire cathedral was burning. Raven, even though she was actually quite safe, was suffocating. Trigon's large palm moved to grab her, but the monks fought desperately to fend him away. Even though they were risking their lives and fighting bravely, and getting hurt, Raven could not move a muscle for fear? disbelief? uncertainty?

Finally, when parts of the cathedral began to collapse and threatened to crush the monks, she was able to gather her strength and summon the strongest "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" spell she thought and hoped she would ever have to cast.

She did not know she had this power, and it was the first time she had ever used it, the ability to stop time. Everywhere suddenly became cold; she didn't like it and wanted to never use the power again, and wished to forget it ever existed. She was beginning to wish none of it ever existed: her powers, the portal, herself.

When she exited the cathedral, she saw that Azarath was empty. It was already quiet enough with the darkened night sky and time unmoving, but many of the people had already evacuated, fleeing from Trigon, she assumed.

She didn't know what to do. She was alone and confused. Time stood still. She saw frozen fires burying the cathedral. Time stood still, maybe forever. She wouldn't mind that.

But Trigon burst free, with flames erupting from his body. The air grew warmer but she still felt bitter cold.

"All of your powers came from me," He bellowed. "There is nothing you can do to stop me!"

She didn't refute the statement; she simply ran. She ran in any direction, not knowing where to go, but she had to keep running. She was chased by fiery hands and every time she managed to get away the hands would pass through a timeless building and light it on fire. Soon all of Azarath was engulfed in fire.

She was running out of places to hide, so she picked a random building and passed through its walls by using her magic. It must have been either chance or fate that drew her to that house because it was the house she had once lived in, with the family she had once cherished so. The building was on fire and soon it would collapse, but there was a woman, moving in this timeless world like one that was punished to life-in-death or to purgatory.

"Mother! Mother, what are you doing?" Raven asked frantically. "We have to get out of here! Everything is burning!"

"My husband died in a fire just like this," she said sadly. "He died saving me. I saw him die. He did it to save me. And then He came, in that form, and I thought 'Maybe he managed to survive!' or 'Maybe he came back to life!' That was what I thought. Even though I knew it was impossible, I let Him into our life. It is too late for Azarath, as it will be too late for the rest of the world. Everything is my fault."

"No, no it isn't mother! It's mine! It's mine! I'm the portal! I'm the gem! It's all because of me! Everything is."

All the walls of the house as He intruded, laughing, "What a rare delight, it is to see my entire family all together. Though I did detest you, you were a good wife. You served me well."

A large fireball approached her, but it was deflected just off course by the Azarath monks. He turned angrily, blasting them away with fire. Raven saw them in their pain; she didn't want anyone to get hurt again.

"You want me, don't you," she said, "then I will go with you. Just leave everyone else out of this."

"Yes, that is my good daughter," He chuckled. "Have you finally accepted your destiny?"

He moved toward her, but was suddenly halted by Arella, mustering all of her strength to protect her daughter.

"You dare defy me, wife?" He shouted.

"I am not your wife," she replied fiercely, "and you are not my husband. My beloved save me from fire, and you are nothing like him. I've lived through pain and suffering and futility, but I want to believe that there is hope yet."

She began to gather immense energy, borrowing from the fallen monks. Even the great Trigon was staggering at her exceedingly powerful display of magic. After a long chant and complicated chakra seals, a small portal appeared.

"Go," she told her daughter quietly.

"But..." she tried to protest, but was quelled softly.

"I have already given up, but you must keep fighting. No matter who tells you your destiny, do not listen. Neither they nor Trigon nor I can say to you what is yours to say. And if you find special people that stay by your side, fight, and risk their lives to protect you, then, never lose sight of them. Now, go."

Raven was teleported through the portal, but her path was dark and turbulent. She stumbled in the darkness, stumbling to remember the kind words of her mother, the kind words of the monks, but she stumbled. She did not see her mother, with the last of her magic banish Him to the fiery prison; it may have given her hope, hope she seemed not to have. Hope was for her to find, somewhere in the darkness. Fire, the suffocating fire enveloped the darkness and the only words she remembered were those of her father, prophesying her destiny. 


	7. Chapter 7

Eve of Evil

As it was growing dark, it had probably been six or seven hours since they had landed on the planet, Robin calculated, meaning that they had been locked in the dark dungeon for five or six hours, and trying to get our for five or six hours.

"It's useless," Cyborg groaned. "Nothing works."

"Yeah, I'm starting to repeat myself," Beast Boy added.

"We can't give up," Robin pressed. "We're almost there."

Starfire could hear them from the outside. She heard them try all of their gadgets and weapons, she heard them hurt themselves as they tried every scheme possible, and heard in pain and exhaustion. They knew that it was impossible to break free from the inside, but to them impossible only meant to try harder.

She was to stand guard, and she was not to disobey; she understood this, but ever since her encounter with Robin doubts, questions, and uncertainties swarmed her thoughts.

She contemplated opening the door, just a bit so she could see inside and see the faces of her friends. She wanted to see them.

"What are you doing, little sister," Blackfire demanded as she abruptly entered the corridor.

"I was just going to make I was giving them the correct amount of victuals," she made up.

"You aren't supposed to give them any food; it's pretty hard to mess that up. You were thinking of betraying Trigon, were you, little sister?"

"But the Trigon, why must we serve Him? He plans to rule the world!"

"That doesn't matter to me. I'm only here to get what I want."

"Then why am I here?"

"You are here to do as I say, little sister. Follow your orders, and you will get your revenge, and I will get my prize. You are here to guard this door; that is all you need to know."

She attacked suddenly, not giving time for Starfire to react. Blackfire attacked her with a series of starbolts, but she combined her energy to form a shield. Blackfire deflected her eyebeams, but was unable to block her kick that followed.

Blackfire blasted two starbolts, but Starfire used her own to neutralize them, then added another, aimed at her sister. Blackfire dodged it quickly, giving the illusion that she had disappeared.

Starfire screamed as her sister attacked instantly, like a lightning bolt.

Robin could hear discerning noises from the outside. He pounded on the door, shouting Starfire's name. It was not only him, as Beast Boy and Cyborg were yelling as well; her friends were still her friends.

"Silence them!" Blackfire ordered.

"No," Starfire refused. "This is the door that separates me from my friends. This is my door. I will open it."

She blasted through the door with a starbolt. The Titans screamed and backed away as the large explosion obliterated the door.

"Oops, sorry, ehehehe..." she apologized, like her old self again.

"Starfire, I-" Robin began.

"Robin, there is no time now. If you seek Raven, you will find her down this path. I don't mind, how much time you spend with Raven, as long as you spend a little time with me."

Eventually, the Titans left, with their only goal to rescue Raven.

"What is this, treason?" asked Blackfire.

"The highest charge of treason possible, is to act against thine own heart. I know what is right and what must be done."

She hit her sister with a starbolt, angering her. She fired another, but Blackfire activated the mark of Scath and surrounded her hands with flames, allowing her to catch the attack and return it. Starfire watched in fear as her own attack loomed closer.

"You know what you have to do," Dark Raven said hauntingly.

Raven had lost her will to fight against the darkness. Slowly, slowly, she found her mind drifting. She felt Logic run from its greatest adversary, Emotion. She felt loneliness then despair then silence. Then she heard Robin and her friends, burst through the door, calling her name.

Dark Raven flashed her four red eyes angrily, and moved to meet the nuisance. The three Titans all attacked at once, and were actually able to deal some damage. With maturing hope, they continuously attacked, and were able to destroy Dark Raven's shields and protect themselves from her magic.

She looked at her body, and saw that it was fading and changing colours. The other Ravens were trying to escape, causing convulsions and enormous amounts of pain.

"Hurry!" she barked at Raven. "There is no more time!"

Raven stepped forth, as if on cue. She looked solemn and disillusioned. Her body too, was fading.

"Raven, what is happening?" Robin asked distraughtly.

"I'm sorry, but this time there is no escape," she said mournfully. "My body is unstable; I cannot live without darkness. This is the way of my life; this is the way it was meant to be."

"You can fight it!"

"No, I can't."

Dark Raven possessed her body, greedily latching onto the new host. The new host wore a black cape, but her legs and arms were left bare, revealing her blood red inscriptions. No hood hid her hair, long strands of a dark purple shade. Darkness spread from her body, covering sky and ground and mind. This was Her world. It was the world within her mind, the world within the mirror, come to life, expanding and covering the entire universe. The Darkening was complete: an explosion separated the Titans, to different directions of darkness. Raven was all alone, alone in the dark, in a dark darkening world. It was Her world. 


	8. Chapter 8

A Brief Explanation

Titans East, who had been called in by the Titans to fill in for them while they were away, had arrived in Jump City and had just finished unpacking their stuff at Titans Tower. Aqualad had just finished installing his swimming pool. Speedy was admiring Robin's wardrobe when he spotted his R-Cycle and decided to test it out. After he broke it and caused massive explosions and nuclear reactions, he calmly whistled as he slipped away and slouched on the couch for some junk food and mindless television.

An alarm suddenly sounded, and Bumble alertedly called for her teammates to gather. "Hey, Speedy!" she shouted. "Get a move on! It's Slade!"

"Don't worry about it!" he answered halfheartedly as he combed his hair. "Mas y Menos will take care of it, after they do the dishes, mop the floors, fix the R-Cycle, wax the T-Car, do the laundry, clean Beast Boy's kitty litter, take out the trash, clean the toilets, feed Silkie, and get some fish tacos for dinner. They'll have everything under control in no time."

"Noooooooooooooooo! Fish tacos? Not my friends?" Aqualad gurfled, as he fainted then drowned.

"Do CPR on Aqualad after you take care of Slade!"

"Muy cansado," Mas huffed and Menos puffed. 


	9. Chapter 9

Her Desire

Blackfire, when she was born, did not have the ability to fly. Everyone else around her could fly, and they would look so joyful as they scorned her from the sky.

When they decided who would be next princess, it was an obvious choice, at least it was to them. She could not fly; therefore she was different, an outcast, a curse. She could not be the princess. It had to be Starfire, another one of the jubilant scorners from the sky. It had to be Starfire, even though she was weak and needed her big sister to save her from trouble every time. It had to be her.

Everyone's attention went to Starfire, and Blackfire was soon forgotten. When her sister confessed she didn't want to be the next princess, she helped her run away, to Earth and she was blamed. She was blamed for the disappearance of the perfect princess; the princess was perfect and would never run away.

Blackfire was eventually forced to run away as well, from a home that did not accept her. She began to hate her planet and its people, people that abandoned her. She began to her sister, who innocently stole everything away from her.

She wandered outer space, visiting different planets, meeting new races and making new enemies. Every day she lived was dangerous; every night she slept was nightmarish. Day and dark were but extremes, like the hot of a sun and the cold of a faraway moon. Eventually she found technology that allowed her to falsely fly and attack with starbolts, but she neither felt the joy of flight nor did she ever feel just in her righteous fury. She could not be accepted. But if she could fly truthfully, and join the others in the sky, would they welcome her in?

She did not have time to remember such things; she had business to attend to.

"I have brought you a traitor," she announced to Trigon, offering the limp body of her sister. "The Darkening is complete. You know why I have come."

"Yes I know," He snorted, "but I cannot trust you yet."

"You promised-"

"Starfire was under your jurisdiction. How could you let a traitor emerge from under your own eyes? But, I am a benevolent beast. I will give you what you desire if you prove your loyalty to me, by destroying the traitor!"

Did she hate her sister? Did she hate her sister enough to destroy her? Did she hate her sister, who looked so joyful in the sky? Did she hate her sister, whom she had always protected as a child? Did she hate her sister, who she had risked everything for when she aided her escape? Did she hate her?

She created a large starbolt, enhancing it with the mark of Scath. Creates from intense flames and bursting energy, it threatened to drop like a bomb. It did not drop, but flew, as at the last moment she redirected her attack to strike Trigon.

He laughed as it dissipated before even making contact. "I know that none of your powers were true. Without My fire and your technology to aid you, there is nothing you can do. Do you find it hard to trust? If you had done as I told, I really would have given you the powers you desired."

"If I had received them from you, those powers would not have been true either."

"Enough. You are useless to me now."

She was surrounded by flame, and the ground beneath her burnt and collapsed. She fell to the bottom of a black pit, full of ash and thousands of tiny but deadly bugs. The pit's only exit was sealed, and all she could see was darkness, but she could tell the bugs were approaching by their slithering noises.

"One slight touch is lethal," Trigon chuckled. "Can you escape before your time is up?"

He began to walk slowly, leaving the throne room, but was hit from behind by a starbolt. He almost felt fear, as it was impossible for her to have escaped, but it was the traitor who had fired. He had already forgotten about her.

"You will return my sister now," she demanded.

"You are in no place ask anything, traitor. My time to claim the world is now; therefore, I don't have time to waste on you, but there is a familiar foe that has been wanting to fight with you for some time. I think you'll recognize her."

Starfire attempted to chase, but suddenly she found herself unable to move and indeed a familiar foe emerged from within her. She once again found herself face to face with her evil counterpart.

"It's good to see you again," she snarled evilly. "You may have won last time, but this time you don't have anyone to save you. It's just you and me."

Evil Starfire attacked first, and since then Starfire was on the run. She tried to fight back but her evil twin was too fast, and would use the opening to blast her away. They fought in the air, appearing only as flashes.

Starfire finally managed to land a hit, and she followed it with copious attacks, not relenting until she was sure she was victorious. She was out of breath by the time she ceased. She had hid the results of her sudden outburst in smoke, and when it cleared what she expected to see was not there.

She looked in every direction but could not find her darkness. Evil Starfire appeared without warning, and began to choke her with both hands.

"You're helpless," she whispered delightedly. "I remind you of your sister, don't I?"

Both Starfires were surprised to see a pillar of energy emit itself from the ground, as Blackfire freed herself. The light pained Evil Starfire's eyes, and forced her to let her captive go.

"I'll take that as an insult," she said confidently.

"Sister, you are flying!" Starfire exclaimed.

"I have to admit that this is more fun than I thought."

She flew smoothly, and was much faster than before and not even Starfire's darkness could trace her. Angrily, Evil Starfire fired starbolts and eyebeams, but Blackfire dodged them with seemingly no effort.

"When I was young," she declared, "I always protected my little sister from anyone who tried to hurt her. That's no different now. This is my righteous fury!"

She fired a starbolt that seemed to move so quick that it warped. Evil Starfire just managed to dodge. Blackfire had a stunned look on her face as her enemy approached her, grinning eagerly.

As Starfire's darkness was about to attack, she found it strange that Blackfire's stunned look was replaced by a confident smile. She thought, "There must be something she knows and I don't."

There was, as the starbolt had never missed. It curved and had been following the darkness the entire time, and it hit Evil Starfire on her back, causing her to fall to the ground.

She stood angrily, and confusedly caught a rock Blackfire had thrown at her.

"What is this?" she demanded.

"That was a nice catch," Blackfire laughed, "but I wouldn't touch that you. The slightest contact is lethal, you know."

Evil Starfire let go in fear, but it was too late. A bug had already crawled onto her skin, and instantly, she screamed and reverted into energy, that returned to its original body.

"Now all that's left is to-" Blackfire collapsed before she could finish her sentence.

"Sister!" Starfire called, but she too was extremely fatigued and she too subsided, before she could offer her sister graciousness and congratulations. 


	10. Chapter 10

Goodbye World 

Cyborg was lost. He did know where he was: that place where he didn't know where he was before. That was because no matter where he walked, everywhere looked the same: a black, black sky. Beneath looked as boundless as the sky above. He simply continued following the one path, with no other idea.

Eventually the path led to a door, and as soon as he entered he noticed it somehow resembled his own room, as it was filled with technology. After he stepped inside, the door electronically closed behind him, covering the room in darkness. The darkness did not last long as automatically a set of lights illuminated the area, revealing Raven, wearing glasses and a yellow cloak.

"Raven, is that you?" he asked.

"No, it's not me," she answered steadily. There was something more methodical about her voice. "I don't have much time. Let me explain: Raven's mind is not like other peoples' minds. She thought she had completely sealed her emotions, but of course that's impossible. The only option was for her emotions to assume a physical form, and thus a physical plane formed, directly connected to Raven's mind. As her mood changes, so does the world. To correct that instability, the world of Raven's mind has become the real world, meaning that the emotions, in physical form, can be physically eliminated. This world threatens to eliminate not only her emotions, but everyone else's as well; hence, the Darkening."

"You speak as if you wereenjoying this."

"You're right. I'm fascinated. I am witnessing unproven theories for the first time. Isn't it marvellous? I am fascinated by your both robotic and human existence. It's a shame that there isn't any more time to properly study you."

"What does that mean? And who said I wanted to be studied?"

"In this world, only emotionless beings can exist. Emotions are the cause of pain. Even the strongest hearts are weakened by sadness. To exist, you must be merciless, remorseless. Both you and I are unnecessary. That's why I came here to give you one last chance. Look around you. This is the finest technology ever to exist. Let me operate on you. I will make you a true robot and rid you of your emotions and allow you to continue your existence. It's your only option?"

"Don't you get it? I can't give up my human qualities; I am human! I was born a human and I will always be a human!"

"Are you sure? Maybe your human existence has already ended. Don't you remember? The accident? The car crash? You died, but somehow you came back to life, though half of your body had to be replaced. It's a scientist's greatest wonder how your emotions remained in tact and you didn't become a complete robot."

"You call that science? There's nothing scientific about emotions! Feelings don't come from numbers; they come from the heart."

"I had hoped to do this peacefully, but I suppose I have no other choice. I'll complete your body, and then possess you from within. I will live on in this world, and continue my studies for eternity. I will prove that everything, including emotions, can be governed by science!"

Her glasses broke revealing four red eyes. Her telekinesis instantly paralyzed Cyborg and began shutting down his systems.

"Wait! You have to wait! You're wrong! I remember now, that day. I thought I had survived only because of technology, but it was because of Raven's magic. She used her healing powers, and she told me it was powered by our emotions. I survived because I wanted to survive. I survived because she wanted me to survive!"

Yellow Raven wasn't sure what to do. She hesitated, for too long, as her body completely disappeared, freeing Cyborg. "Don't you get it," he said as he scanned the room. "Technology this advanced isn't logical; it's impossible.It came into being, because of your emotion."

Beast Boy was lost. He was lost, not only in the way where you don't know where you are or where to go, but also in the way he didn't know who he was. He didn't remember if he was born a man or an animal; he didn't know if he was a man or an animal. He didn't know who or what he was. Eventually his unpremeditated wandering brought him to Raven, wearing a brown cloak.

"Raven, is that you?" he asked.

"No, it's not me," she answered distantly. "I don't have much time. I came to grant your wish. Do you want to know who you really are? I can show you your true form. Will you gaze into this mirror?"

He couldn't stop himself from looking. He didn't like what he saw.

"That's, the Beast! It can't be! It was because of the chemicals!"

"The Beast has always been your true form. You wanted to seal it, so you transformed into different animals. You even became human. But even though you could assume the forms perfectly, you never truly could become something else. There was always something lacking. I can return you to your true form. There will be no more doubts."

"But what if I become evil? What if the Beast hurts people?"

"Then that's what you were meant to do. You cannot deny what is inside of you."

"If you become the Beast, Trigon will permit you to stay in the new world! As a human, your emotions will be your downfall. Become the Beast! I must take your body to continue existing!"

"You may be right. You're probably right. I knew there was something dark in me, stirring, always trying to get out. Every animal I became, I always lacked something, so I couldn't fit in. But when I became a human, there was a girl that befriended me. Well it's more like she insulted me, but the point is was that she was the first one to talk to me. Thanks to her, I felt like I made an impact, as a human. Now I have great friends. This is my true form, as a human. The only thing I lacked was friends."

"I... don't want to disappear. I don't know even know who I am."

"Raven, you are a very important person. You are our friend. You are my friend, a very special friend."

He reached out his hand, and she tried to take it, but she could not touch it, as her body turned to nothingness.

Robin knew where he was. It was the place in Raven's mind where visions tended to infiltrate one's mind. This time, he wouldn't let it happen. Concentrating with all of his might, he was able to pass through.

The real Raven, in her black cloak was there. The other colours had entered her body, but they only disappeared as the darkness overpowered them. The inscriptions seemed more crimson than before, her hair was longer, and she didn't seem to mind the intense flames that enveloped her.

"Raven, is that really you?" he began.

"Yes, it's me," she answered darkly.

"No, it's not. I know Raven. She isn't like this. She would still be fighting against the evil inside her, even at a time like this. She doesn't give up, as long as she has friends, and you still do have friends! I'm right here!"

Raven clenched her fist. Dark energy began to squeeze all the air out of his body. Flames swarmed him. It was an odd combination of burns and breathlessness, more painful than anything he had ever felt before. He could feel darkness creeping all over his body like hands probing at him, disturbing his thoughts, crushing the good and caressing the evil.

"Before I met you," he forced from his mouth, "I was about to give up on becoming a hero. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to be able to beat any of the bad guys. I thought I wasn't meant to be a hero. But then you suddenly appeared, out of nowhere, and using your magic you won so easily. You inspired me. I trained harder. I learned that day why I had failed at being a hero. It was because until then I had been fighting alone."

Raven let him go. He fell, still gasping, and suffering from severe burns. The pain seemed to grow worse every second. And then it stopped. Raven, this time it was really the real Raven - she kissed Robin sweetly on his lips. She was crying. It was an unexpected kiss. It was a good kiss. It was a complicated kiss.

"That was a farewell kiss," she said. Her next words were: "Goodbye World."


	11. Chapter 11

The End, Before and After

Raven continued, "This is my world. I can cause it to collapse."

"But then you," Robin realized.

"I might not last, but you will. The day I met you, I was holding that weapon. I originally wasn't intending to use it to save you. I had just come from Azarath. I saw dark things. I began to hate the world and everything in it, but the world isn't as evil as I once thought it was. When I saw you, fighting with everything you had, getting up every time you fell, something within me changed. When you asked me to join you, I accepted because I thought by being with you and fighting against crime would somehow change me. To some extent it did. Robin, you were a very special person to me. I loved spending time with you, but when she came our time together became less and less. I was happy, when we became close again. I thought I could return to those days. That kiss was meant for you back then. Starfire wasn't the one that was jealous; I was. That's why, that's why..."

This time Robin kissed her. In that long moment, they seemed to forget the rest of the world. When it ended, the world was returned to its normal state.

"That was meant for back then too. Back then, I was uncertain. And then Starfire, came, and..."

"It's okay. If I hadn't been suppressing my emotions, then maybe, it would have been different. You are the kind of person that will help someone, and convince them that whatever is wrong with their life will somehow go away. The person that saved Starfire from despair, that's the person I fell in love with. This time, you can't be uncertain."

"But you'll..."

"I'll be fine. I was wrong all along. I thought I had to seal all of my emotions, and the darkness inside me, but that was wrong. The reason I became friends with all of you is because you brought out all the emotions that had remained dormant for so long. I know that I am meant to be with you."

Their next moment was interrupted by a ground-shaking appearance from Trigon. He bellowed, "You may have given up on the world, but I will take over from here. Your reign is over, and mine shall begin!"

"I haven't given up."

"That's right! We're taking you down," Robin added.

"You think you can defeat me? Let me show you the real terror of my power."

"I never said I'd defeat you, at least not alone."

"That's right! Did you forget about us?" Cyborg shouted with an exuberant entrance. He had enhanced his sonic cannon with all of the technology from the room. He landed a direct hit, and rewarded himself with a "Buuyah!" for emphasis.

Before Trigon could recover, the Beast attacked the back of his neck. "Even if this is my true form," he said, reverting to human, "as long as I know when to use it, I'm still a human."

Angered greatly, Trigon blasted them away with fire. Before he could finish them, however, more annoyances arrived as the Tamaranian sisters attacked with magnificent speed, combining their starbolts to deal incredible damage.

Raven floated to Trigon's eye level, with all of her friends behind her. She was hit by a massive flame, but she received absolutely no damage. She attacked, with both black and white energy, surrounding him tightly, not allowing him to move or escape.

"Let me ask you something," she said calmly, "did you love mother?"

His answer: "Such a kind and beautiful woman, disgusted me."

"Then, there is no hope for you at all."

Her telekineses was able to transport him into the sky and into outer space. Angrily, he clenched his fists and decided to destroy the entire planet, but Raven was quick, and she gained control of an asteroid belt and began pelting him.

When the torment finally ended, he painfully attempted to gather energy for a final attack to wipe out the planet, but he found himself suddenly drifting. He cursed his daughter, her friends, and all of the beings he thought were below him, as he was absorbed into a black hole.

Raven began to fall from the sky, after using excessive amounts of energy. The Titans rushed to gather her.

"Thank you, friends," she said to everyone.

"Let's go home," Robin followed.

Cygorb was preparing the T-Ship for the return trip, but taking a longer time than expected as he had to stop Beast Boy from touching the dangerous yet deceivingly shiny ship parts. Robin and Starfire were talking with each other.

"Robin," Starfire began, "I vowed to my sister that I would take her to Tamaran to revoke her banishment. It might be a long time and you will be alone with-"

"You don't have to worry," he promised. "I'll wait for you."

Finally, Raven could try to live a normal life. There were no more prophecies or evil demons to haunt her. She would live at Titans Tower, with her friends, and fight against crime. Slowly, she would begin to accept her emotions, and open herself to her friends. There were many things for the future she was unsure of, especially her feelings for Robin. She knew, however, as long as they were together, she would be happy. She returned home, with her friends.

I see what is there, after the end.  
I did not see before,  
Because I was afraid to look,  
But now that I see,  
I will never doubt again.  
You were there, since the beginning,  
And you are there, after the end. 


End file.
